Flip open container



y 12, 1964 E. CAPUCCIO 3,132,790

FLIP OPEN CONTAINER Filed June 18, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 04m:- [AH/670 ATTOR E 5.

y 2, 1964 E. CAPUCCIO 3,132,790

FLIP OPEN CONTAINER Filed June 18, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EUGENE L'APUCt/fl United States Patent 3,132,790 FLIP OPEN CONTAINER Eugene Capuccio, Apartado 1087, Chacao, Caracas, Venezuela Filed June 18, 1962, Ser. No. 203,336 1 Claim. Cl. 229-20) This invention relates to improvements in cardboard or fiberboard boxes and in particular to boxes of the type generally utilized to merchandise cigarette, cigar, drug or cosmetic items. Whereas the following description is directed toward the end use of such products in the cigarette packaging field it is to be noted that such usage is not limiting in that the aspect ratio of the box may be altered into any desired configuration to suit the shape of any selected product.

Cigarettes are normally sold for retail consumption in either the familiar soft-pack or in the so-called flip-top box. This invention relates to improvements in the fiip top box art which result in a product having commercially acceptable structural strength while simultaneously effecting a reduction in the amount of materim required and the number of steps required in the erection process. 1

The blank from which the container is erected is stamped from a roll of cardboard or other suitable foldable material. The blank is of unique one-piece shape which eliminates any wastage of material between successive blanks as they are sequentially stamped from the roll of source material. Material wastage within the individual blank itself is held to a minimum, and a box erected from this blank, has all of the advantages of the present commercial cigarette box plus some additional features which the known form does not possess.

It has been calculated that a box of this form reduces the quantity of raw material by something in excess of 16 percent The erected box, being of one piece, reduces the number of steps in the machine folding process, reduces the quantity of glue and reduces the number of gluing spots to effect greater economic savings during the erection phase. Further economic advantage resides in the fact that production rates of existing machinery may be increased by adoption of this form of box.

An optional feature of this improved version of the box is a manual ejector mechanism which permits the user to project the contents of the box, at will, partially out of the box to facilitate removal of the contents by the user or his guest.

The manual ejector mechanism of the present invention has two different forms, both of which operate in essentially the same manner. Both mechanisms utilize an embossed hinged knock-out flap in the bottom of the box. Until used, the box and the ejector flaps are integral members. In usage, the user merely presses on the flap causing it to sever from the main body of the blank and swing inwardly to convey the finger pressure to the contents to move them upwardly out of the box. The flaps and the other portions of the box are arranged to block outward movement of the fiap during periods of disuse to minimize the possibility of entrance of contaminating material.

These and other features of the invention will be apparent after reference is made to the description below and the drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is an action view of one form of the dispensing container to illustrate the method of manual operation, and

FIG. 2 is a. plan view of the blank from which the FIG. 1 box was erected, and I FIG. 3 is a partial cut-away view of the ejector mechanism prior to its first usage, and

FIG. 4 is a partial cut-away view of the ejector mechanism subsequent to its first usage, and

3,132,790 Patented May 12, 1964 FIG. 5 is a view of the bottom of the box of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is an expanded view of the bottom panel to illustrate a second form of ejector mechanism, and

FIG. 7 is an interior view of the bottom of a box having the second form prior to its first usage, and

FIG. 8 is a partial cut-away View to illustrate the action of the members upon first usage, and

FIG. 9 is an interior view of the bottom of the box subsequent to its first usage, and

FIG. 10 is an exterior view of the bottom of the box of FIG. 9.

The box 1 having a lid or closure member 2 is provided with an ejector mechanism 3 which is adapted to be operated by the user to propel the contents 4 out of the box for selection and removal by the user or his guest.

The box is erected from the blank 5 of cardboard or other suitable material is illustrated in FIG. 2.

The blank is stamped from a roll of stock material, and during the stamping operation cuts are made along the solid lines while indentations or score lines are made along the dotted lines which represent folding lines. The

unitary blank comprises a front panel 6, a bottom panel 7, a rear panel 8 and a lid member portion. The lid portion is composed of top lid surface 9, front lid surface 10 and end lid surfaces 11 and 12. The two end surfaces 11 and 12 are provided with strengthener tabs 13 and 14 which are adapted to be folded inwardly and glued to front surface 10. Front surface 10 is also provided with a strengthener tab 15 which is also adapted to be folded inwardly and glued to tabs 13 and 14 as well as to front surface 10. The shaded portions adjacent to end surfaces 11 and 12 may be deleted or folded inwardly and glued to these surfaces 11 and 12 to strengthen them if it is desired.

The rear panel 8 is provided with edge panels 16 and 17 which are in turn provided with strengtheningtabs 18 and 19. Tabs 18 and 19 play an important role in regard to the ejector mechanism to be discussed in more detail below.

Front panel 6 is similarly provided with edge panels 20 and 21 having strengthener tabs 22 and 23 respectively. Also the front panel is provided with two cut-out portions to form cars 24 and 25. The tabs 22, 23 and tab 26, disposed at the lower end of the blank are all adapted to be folded inwardly during the erection phase. Tabs 22 and 23 fold over the end of edge panels 16 and 17 and tab 26 folds back against the inner surface of panel 6. These three tabs, when so folded, reinforce the mouth of the finished box.

The bottom panel 7 of the blank 5 is provided with a so-called rectangular knock-out panel 27. Three contiguous sides of the panel 27, as defined by the dashed lines, are embossed with partial perforations and the fourth side is defined by a scored fold line. The knockout panel 27 is adapted to be pressed inwardly by the user so the cardboard will tear along the dashed lines to form an inwardly movable flap. When the flap 27 is formed it may be used, under the application of finger pressure, to eject the cigarettes 4 or other contents out of the mouth of the container.

To prevent the flap 27 from moving outwardly from the bottom panel 7, provision is made in the first form of the invention to make the flap 27 wider than the gap between the inwardly folded tabs 18 and 19, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5. FIG. 4 illustrates how the flap 27, after being pressed inwardly, passes around tab 19 so that tab 19 lies between flap 27 and the bottom panel 7, thus preventing the outward movement of flap 27 while generally protecting the contents from external contaminating particles of dust, dirt, etc. FIG. 5 illustrates the appearance of the bottom the box after subsequent operations of the ejector fla 27.

A second form of ejector'fiap suitable for use with the container of FEG. 1 is illustrated in F263. 6 to 10 inclusive.

In FIG. 6 there is illustrated the bottom panel section of a blank which, in regard to its other details, is identical to the blank '3 of FIG. 2. in HG. 6 it will be noted the first and that the flap 3b is in the form of a semi-circle, having a to their horizontal position as illustrated iro in FIG. 9, and the outside, in PEG. It). It ll be noted that now the front portion'of the flap 30, that is, the portion of the flap farthest from the hinge 31, lies above tabs 18 and 19, whereas the rear portion of the flap 3t: remains beneath the tabs 18 and 19. It is obvious that t is mode of action, as in the first form, prevents the flap 3 from moving outwardly from the bottom of the box minimizing the possibility of contamination of the contents from external sources.

Of the. two forms of the invention I prefer the first, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive.

In regards to the gluing of the box during the erection phase, normally only three of the panel members require the application of glue. Those are, the two outer edge panels 20 and 21 and the panel 15 of the lid. However, if the manufacturer elects to retain the shaded triangular tabs adjacent to lid ends 11 and 12, two more spots of glue will be required to maintain them in position.

I claim:

A box fabricated from a unitary blank of foldable material, said unitary blank having interconnected front panel, bottom panel, rear panel and lid member portions; said front and rear panels having edge panel extensions; each of said edge panels having strengthening tabs extending therefrom; said front panel further having a strengthening tab extending from the end remotely situated from said bottom panel; said lid member having top, front and end surface portions; the front surface portion of said lid having a strengthening tab extending therefrom; the end surface portions of said lid having gluing tabs extending therefrom, said bottom panel having a hinged knock-out tab; and means preventing the outward movement of said knock-out tab from said bottom panel, said means including atleast one of said edge panel strengthening tabs initially overlaying the inner surface of the bottom panel and a portion of said knock'out tab and subsequently pivoting inwardly of said box as said knocleout tab is pivoted inwardly of said box'to thereby underlay said tab sufiiciently to prevent pivotal movement of said knock-out tab outwardly from said box, said knock-out tabs being arranged to be broken from said bottom panel along a semi-circular curve and to pivot about a straight line in said bottom panel parallel to said front panel, said one edge panel having a notch in the free end thereof to receive an edge of said curved knockout tab as said tab is pivoted inwardly and to retain said edge in said notch as said tab tends to pivot outwardly to prevent movement of saidtab outwardly from said box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 149,889 Smith Apr. 21, 1874 1,456,060 Johnstone May 22, 1923 1,844,066 Hughes Feb. 9, 1932' 2,369,385 Carruth Feb. 13, 1945 2,685,400 MacArthur Aug. 3, 1954 2,951,627 Wenzel Sept. 6, 1960 2,990,097 Thompson June 27, 196i 

